Benjamin Beilman the musician... wins the first prize

June 2, 2010 at 11:37 AM

FIRST PART- JUNE 2 - 2010

The International violin competition in Montreal will end tonight. The level of the players is of high standards this year. One really is apart from the others and his name is Benjamin Beilman from the U.S.A. Benjamin is currently studying at the Curtis Institute. He is twenty years old and already became a fine virtuoso. In his unsual second round, he played two spanish dances by Sarasate, Hubay's arrangement of Carmen and Beethoven's sonata in G major (number ten). He is more than just a fine virtuoso. He is a first class musician. The way he plays the classics (Bach,Beethoven and Mozart) is quite moving and displays a rare maturity. His sound is never forced or overdone and has the class of Grumiaux at his best!

Last night he gave a wonderful performance of the Sibelius with the Metropolitain Orchestra and Jean-Phillipe Tremblay. He has a penetrating sonority and masters all the difficulties of the piece. The first movement had a remarkable entry of the soloist and was performed all the way with great poetry. The second deeply moved the audience and was intense, passionate. In the third, he was accurate, dynamic and precise, focusing on the true rhythm of the famous " polar bear dance". Mr. Beilman had a strong response from the public at the end and a well deserved standing ovation! Hope he will win the first prize. Anyone who heard about him or any comments?

SECOND PART-JUNE 3- 2010

LAST NIGHT, Benjamin Beilman won the first prize of the 2010 edition of the International Musical contest of Montréal. Christophe Huss, critic at Le Devoir, writes this morning that not such an event since 1967 has happened, refering to Queen Elizabeth's contest with laureates such as Phillip Hirschhorn, Gidon Kremer and Stoïka Milanova.

Kyoko Yonemoto from Japan gave an outstanding performance of Paganini concerto number 1. The Russian Borisogllebski played beautifully the Brahms concerto. The german Korbinian Altenberger played with profound subtlety the Chostakovith. Noah Bendix-Balbley gave an aristocratic rendition of the Brahms.

Above them all, the loved one of the Gods writes Huss, Benjamin Beilman triumphed with his uncommon musicality!

First prize:Benjamin Beilman. Second: from Germany,Korbinian Altenberger. Third: from Russia, Borisoglebski. Six finalists played in the last round.

In this morning newspaper,Christophe Huss from Le Devoir called Benjamin "the musical angel of the competition". A Gil Shaham and a James Ehnes in the making he remarked..."An historical chance for the jury to position Montreal as the place where was revealed to the entire world the talent of a future great star of the violin."

He came to play Mozart's 5th concerto and Saint-Saens Intro and Rondo with the Cayuga Chamber Orchestra (Ithaca, NY) last year. I absolutely loved his incredible elegance and style in both pieces... the Saint-Saens had some great fire and spontaneity... he used the riskiest, flashiest fingerings imaginable and they all came off beautifully.

Haven't gotten to hear him in person yet - he'll be playing with the Longmont Symphony in Longmont, Colorado in November - and while I had heard excellent things about him, now I'm even more excited to have him and to be able to say I was in the orchestra when he played. I still have to listen to more than a few minutes of the video, but the start was enticing. Thank you, Andrew - I'll be listening for his "elegance and style."